The students declared victory. Vucic conceded defeat

The Students List, known as "Students Win," declared victory in Serbia’s extraordinary parliamentary elections held on Sunday, October 25, ending a fourteen-year rule by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. Preliminary projections from polling agencies CeSID and Ipsos, based on 96 percent of counted votes, indicated the student-led coalition secured approximately 52.9 percent of the vote, while Vucic’s "United Serbia" list received 38.8 percent. Although official results were still being tallied, Vucic addressed the public to acknowledge his defeat, stating that exit polls clearly showed the student list had won. He conceded that the opposition movement would likely secure between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member National Assembly, granting them an absolute majority required for forming a government alone. The election marked a dramatic shift in Serbian politics, with turnout reaching record levels since the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992. According to the research group CRTA, voter participation stood at 67.8 percent just one hour before polling stations closed, significantly higher than the 58.8 percent recorded in the previous parliamentary election in December 2023. Approximately 6.45 million registered voters were eligible to cast ballots. The high engagement reflected widespread frustration with the incumbent leadership, which critics accused of corruption and ties to organized crime. Vucic, who has dominated Serbian politics in various capacities since 2012, stepped down as president in late September specifically to run for prime minister under his party banner, framing the election as a referendum on his leadership style. Celebrations erupted immediately after Vucic’s concession speech. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Slavia Square in Belgrade, filling the streets with singing, chanting, and car horns. Many citizens waved Serbian flags as they celebrated what they viewed as a decisive break from authoritarian rule. Similar scenes unfolded in other major cities across Serbia. In Novi Sad, residents removed a large billboard featuring Vojislav Seselj, leader of the Serbian Radical Party, from a building housing party offices. In Belgrade’s Pioneer Park, locally known as Caciland, a fire broke out involving two cars and tents after crowds entered an area that had been controlled by Vucic supporters for nearly a year and a half. Social media footage captured groups of men dressed in black fleeing the park following the announcement of results. Political reactions followed swiftly. Ana Brnabic, the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament who concurrently serves as acting head of state, became involved in a verbal altercation with citizens in the streets of Belgrade during the night. The political platform Mozhemo congratulated the students and citizens, describing the result as a crucial moment for democracy and an opportunity for a new beginning. International figures also weighed in; Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar compared the Serbian outcome to his own electoral victory against long-time leader Viktor Orbán earlier in the year. European leaders extended congratulations, citing the win as a triumph for democratic processes. The winning coalition, which emerged from protests sparked by a tragedy in Novi Sad two years prior, did not exist as a formal entity until recently. Their campaign focused on accountability, the rule of law, and respect for truth and education. In a statement released after the projected victory, the Students List urged citizens to celebrate peacefully and with dignity. They warned against falling for provocations or engaging in conflicts, emphasizing that their response to insults should be peace and solidarity. The group stated that while they celebrated tonight, serious work begins tomorrow, focusing on building a country where the law applies equally to all and where individuals are not punished for holding different opinions. They pledged not to forget why they started their struggle, noting that power is a responsibility toward the people rather than a privilege. Discrepancies existed among early projections regarding exact seat counts. While CeSID and Ipsos projected 140 mandates for the Students List and 103 for Vucic’s alliance, other estimates varied slightly. At a 56 percent count stage, CeSID reported 139 mandates for the students and 104 for Vucic’s bloc. CRTA’s projection placed the student vote share at 51.5 percent and the ruling party’s at 40.4 percent. Despite these minor numerical differences, all independent observers agreed that the Students List achieved an absolute majority. Minor parties also crossed the threshold for representation; the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians led by Dr. Balint Pastor secured three mandates, and the Albanian Coalition gained entry into parliament. Eighteen lists competed in total, but no other entities met the three-percent general threshold or the one-percent minority threshold required for parliamentary entry. Speculation began immediately regarding the formation of the new government. Some analysts suggested Dejan Soskovic might emerge as a potential prime minister candidate. Political analyst Dejan Jovic commented that the energy driving this change represented an impressive resistance to authoritarian systems. He noted the paradoxical nature of the current landscape, where the Students List is not a traditional party, yet the dominant SNS effectively lost its direct parliamentary presence under its own name, having run under a personalized list bearing Vucic’s name. Observers are now watching how the transition of power will proceed and whether the non-partisan structure of the winning coalition will evolve into a formal party or remain a unique political entity. The immediate focus shifts to the mechanics of transferring authority and the policy direction the new majority intends to pursue.